Sealing device



Sept. 25, 1934. w. c. CHILDREss Y 1,974,913

SEALING DEVICE Filed March l5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept.' 25, 1934. w. c. cHlLDRss y 1,974,913

SEALING DEVCE Filed March 1'5, 19s3 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Sept. l25, 1934 i PATENT OFFICE sEAuNG DEVICE William C. Childress, Oak Park, Ill., assgnor to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application March 15, 1933, serial No. 660,795 '4 claiinsl.' (c1. :i1-9.1)

This invention relates to sealing devices for use in uniting the ends of a metallic strap or binder by means of a metal vseal and the present invention is an improvement upon the device described and claimed in the United States patent to Chester M. MacChesney and John Ekern Ott No.

1,730,669, dated October 8, 1929. The principal ,.v object' of the invention is to. provide a sealing device of simpliiiedconstruction which may be employed for applying an lopen metal seal, preferably of channel form, to the overlapping ends of a metallic strap or binder and then bending the walls of the seal about the strap and deforming the edges of the strap and seal to provide an l5 interlocking joint. A further object of the invention is to provide a simple form of sealing device made up of parts which may be constructed at small cost and readily assembled and disassembled for convenience in replacement and repair. Still l provide an improved form of sealing device of the tong type comprising relatively movable jaws adapted to bend and deform the metallic seal and having relatively movable pivoted operating handles which may be readily manipulated by theoperator to apply suflicient power to the jaws.

Other objects of the invention relate to variousv features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter. The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specifcation'taken with the accompanying drawings, in which one. embodiment is illustrated. In the drawings,

Fig. l shows a top plan view of a box or package with the improved sealing device of the present invention in position to apply aseal to the ends of ametal strap which are overlapped on the top surface of the box;

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the sealing device and box illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the overlapping strap ends and theopen channel-shaped seal in the forms which they have before being operated 45 upon by the sealing device of the present invention;

Fig. 4 isa perspective -view of the overlapping strap ends and the metallic seal illustrated in Fig'. 3 after the sealing device of the present invention has operated upon them to bend the walls of the seal about the strap ends and to shear the edges of the strap and seal to' provide an interlocking joint;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line another object of the. invention is'to edges thereof Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

-Fig. 7 is a perspective View of one of the sidev plates, the jaw plates and die plates, the bridge or saddle and one of the operating handles of the improved sealing device when separated from each Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken adjacent the inner face of one of the side plates of the sealing device, showing a si-de elevation of the jaw plates r(i5 and other parts of the construction when the jaws are'separated in position to receive an open channel-shaped seal between them; I

Fig. 9 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 8, showing the relative positions of the parts when the jaws-have been moved inwardly toward each other by the actuation of the operating handles or levers; f

Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the sealing device as viewed inFigs. 1, 2 and 8; 75 Fig. 11 is a horizontal section taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a vertical section taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 13` is an enlarged vertical sectionsimilar to the lower part of Fig.- 8, .illustrating the relative positions of the jaws after they have been movedinwardly toward`each other to closed position, thereby bending the walls of the seal into parallel relationship with the overlapping strap ends; and y Fig. 14 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 13, but on a different plane through they jaws, showing the action of the jaws in effecting the transverse shearing of the edges of the seal and overlapping strap ends.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in connection with a channel- 'shaped metal seal 15 which is applied to the overthem to embrace the overlapping strap ends 16,

vIn ordinary practice, the strap is -applied around L00 I the box or package and is drawn taut with the ends thereof overlapping by a suitablestretching device, not illustrated, and then the sealing device of the present invention is applied to the' overlapping strap ends while the strap is held '105 taut for'the purpose of bending the walls of the seal about the strap ends and then shearing the to form an interlocking joint of the type described and claimed in the United States patent to Ralph H. Norton No. 1,260,016, dated March 19, 1918. In forming this joint, the walls 15b of the seal are rst bent inwardly beneath the overlapping strap ends into parallel relationship with the surfaces of the strap, as shown in Fig. 5, and then upon continued relative movement of the jaws of the sealing device, the edges lof the strap and seal are sheared from the edges inwardly along transverse lines 18, as shown in Fig. 4, and portions of the metal of the strap ends and seal are deflected downwardly toward the package to form lugs 19, the edges of' which abut against the adjacent edges of the strap and seal along the shear lines 18.

The improved sealing device 20 comprises a pairv of side plates 21 having mounted between actuation of a pair of operating levers carry ing handles 25a. Lach jaw plate 23 is provided at its lower end with an inwardly directed jaw 23a, with an under-cut recess 23b located immediately above' the jaw. These jaws 23n are adapted to engage the walls 15b of the seal 15 to bend these walls to the position shown in FigsQ 5 and 13 and the intermediate die p1ates24 are provided. with shearing edges 24a which partially overlap the recesses 23b of the jaw plates and which are adapted to engage the edgesof the strap and seal to shear them along the lines 18. The side plates 21 which are disposedfon opposite sides of the series of jaw plates and die plates are each provided with channel-shaped notches 21a which are located in registry with each other and with the spaces between the jaws 23a of the opposite jaw members 22, to receive the overlapping strap ends 16a vwhen the seal 15 is applied to the strap.

The jaw plates 23 and the' die plates 24 of each jaw member-22 are maintained in alignment with each other by means of a' pair of cylindrical pins 26 which engage aligning apertures, 26- formed in the jaw plates and in the die plates, there being one series of these registering apertures for each.`

pin. Each jaw member is also provided with a rpin 27 engaging aligning apertures 2'7a in the jaw plates and serving primarily to relieve the bend ing stresses on the pivot bolts 28 which hold all of the plates in assembled relation-to each other:

These bolts 28 pass and the side plates 2l.' through aligning apertures 29 formed in the jaw plates, die plates and side plates, there being one series of these apertures 29 for each of the bolts 28. -The heads 282L of these bolts engage the outer facesof one side plate 21 and at their other ends they are provided with reduced threaded portions 28b on which aremounted nuts 28C. These nuts engage the shoulders at the inner ends of the reduced portions 28D and the threads at the outer ends there'o'f lmay be deformed by punching or the like in order to prevent accidental removal of the nuts. By employing this shoulderconstruction on the bolts, the nuts 28 are prevented from being tightened to `such an extent as to prevent pivotal movement of the jaw members 22 on y the bolts 28 between the side plates21. In addition to the bolts 28 about which the jaw members pivot. the side plates 21 are maintained inv vspaced relation to each other by another bolt 30 which engages apertures 31 in the opposite side plates and extends between the upper portions of the jaw plates' 23 and die plates 24, as shown particularly in Fig. 8. TheboltBO is similar to the bolts 28 and has its head 30a engaging a recess .21b which is formed in the face of the adjacent side plate. The other end of this vbolt 30 has a reduced threaded portion 30b upon which ismounted the nut 30. When the side plates 21 are thus' secured together and spaced apart by the bolts 28 and 30, the jaw members 22 are adapted to pivot between them on the bolts 28 and the ends of the pins 26 are adapted to slide over the faces of the side plates which maintain them in their positions in the apertures 2*'1.

I'he operating levers 25 areprovided at their lower or inner ends with enlargements 25", each of which has a single ear 25c'projecting from the outer side thereof and a pair of ears 25d projecting in parallel relation from the inner side thereof. The ears 25c of each lever 25 are adapted to extend between the outer ends of the jaw plates 23 of one of the jaw members 22, which is permitted by r'eason of the fact that the die plates 2.4 and center jaw plates are shorter than the outer jaw plates, and these overlapping parts of the ears 25 and jaw plates 23 are provided with registering apertures 32, in each series of which is mounted a cylindrical pin 33. These pins are of suiiicient length to bear at their ends against the side plates 21, by which they areretained in position during the relative movement of the jaw members, and'they thus establish a pivotal connection between the jaw members 22 and the operating levers 25. The ears 25(1 formed on the inner sides of the enlargements 25b of the levers are so disposed that they overlap each other and these ears are provided with registering apertures 34 in which is mounted a'cylindrical pivot pin 35. This pin is` longer than the pins 33 and the ends thereof engage grooves 21c which are formed in the inner faces of the side vplates 2l and which extend vertically from the bolt 30 to the upper ends of the side plates. When the levers 25 are moved relatively to eachv other about this pivot 35, the ends of the pivot 35 slide in the grooves 2lc and thus permit the elongated enlargements f parts of bell crank levers for effecting relative movement of the j-aw members 22 about the bolts 28.

The innervedges of the jaw plates 23 are provided with rounded surfaces 23c concentric with theaxes of the bolts 28 and these surfaces on opposite jaw plates are adapted to move in contact with, or in close proximity to, each other when the jaw members move about the bolts 28. For the purpose of supporting the seal 15 by engagement with the back or top wall 15a thereof, when the seal is placed between the opposite jaws, there is provided a bridge or saddle 36 having a Iflat face 36a adapted to coact with the wall 15a o-f the seal, and having integrally formed cylindrical pins 36b projecting from the ends thereof and pivotally engaging cylindrical apertures 3'? which are formed in the side plates21 just above the notches 21B. The bridge or saddle 36 is provided on opposite sides with upwardly converging surfaces 36cwhich are adapted to coact with oppositely disposed curved surfaces 23c formed onthe jaw plates 23,A Td accommodate the projecting portions of the die plates 24 wher'these plates are in their extreme positions during the pivotal movement of the jaw members 22, the opposite edges of the saddle 36 are provided with notches 36d which are located in registry with the die plates 24. 'Ihe face 36 of the saddle is adapted to lie flush with the inner walls of the notches 21a in the side plates 21 and the curved surfaces 36 of the saddle are adapted to maintain contact with the surfaces 23c of the jaw plates in all relative positions of the jaw members.

The'distance between the side plates 21 is slightly greater than the length-of the seal 15 and the Width of the notches 21a may preferably be slightly less than the spaced relation of the side walls 15b of the channel-shaped seal, although -sumcient to permit the passage therethrough of the strap 16, so that when the seal is placed between the jaws as shown in Fig. 8, the seal is prevented from moving endwise by the overlapping portions of the side plates 21. The

bolts 28 and 30 are preferably of such lengththat the, jaw members have suflicient frictional contact with the side plates 21 to permit the jaw members 22 to be held by friction in any of their relative positions after being so placed by the operation-of the levers 25. This permits the jaw members to be moved -to positions wherein the jaw portions 23 engage opposite side .walls 15b of the seal, after the open seal has been .inserted between them in the manner shown in Fig. 8, and then the entire sealing device 20 may be'moved by the operator with the levers 25 spread apart, until the seal 15 is passed over the overlapping strap end, 4as shown in Fgs. 1 and 2. However, it is usually desirable to place the open seal over the overlapping strap ends before putting the jaws into position to embrace the seal. After the application of the seal by either method, the relative movement ofthe levers 25 towardeach other causes the upper ends of the jaw members 22 to separate andthe lower portions thereof are project. This ilnal relative .position otr-the parts is illustrated in Fig. y14, where the deflected lugs 19 are shown projecting into the spaces between the jaws 23. The levers 25 may then be moved in the opposite direction to release the sealing device fromthe joint which has thus been formed between the overlapping ends of the strap. The number of lugs 19 which are formed along each edge or the seal depends Vupon the number of 4die plates 24 and jaw plates 23 whichV make up each head 22 and thelaminated construction of these heads or jaw members permits Upon continued.

xed spaced relation. A

WILLIAM C. CHILDRESS. 135

a ready adjustment of the number of such plates to suit the length of seal being operated upon.

Of course, with a change in the length of the seal 1'5, bolts 28 and 30 of different length would have to be substituted for those previously used. After continued use, the die plates 24 may be readily removed and replaced since all partsof the sealing device may be readily disassembled by removing the bolts 28 and 30.

' Although one form of the invention has been 85 shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed in various other embodiments coming within the `mounted between said plates and having xed pivotal connections therewith, some of said laminations forming bending dies and other laminations forming shearing dies, and a pair of operating levers pivotally connected to each other and to' said jaw members for effecting relative movement of said jaw members.

L2.*'I'he combination in a sealing device for` overlapping-strap ends, of a pair of side plates, a pair of jaw members mounted between said plates, each of said jaw members being formed of a plurality of plates, some of said plates having parts forming bending dies and others of said plates having parts forming shearing dies, means passing throughsaid side plates and said last named plates for securing them together and permitting pivotal movement only of said jaw members between said side plates, and a pair of operating levers pivotally connected to said jaw members and to each other.

3. The combination in a sealing device for overlapping strap ends, of a pair of side plates, a plurality of parallel jaw plates mounted between said sideplates, a plurality of die plates eachinterposed between two of said jaw`plates, means for forming a pivotal connection with said jaw plates and die plates and securing said side plates together, and means for preventing relative pivotal movement of said jaw plates and said die plates.

4. The combination in -asealing device. for overlapping strap ends, of a pair of side plates, a plurality of jawplates'and a plurality of die plates arranged' alternately in 'parallel relation between said side plates, said jaw plates and said die plates having two series ot aligning apertures therethrough, pins engaging said apertures and held againstl endwise movement by said side plates, and means for securing said side plates in 

